Data center pushback continues across the Tampa Bay area
Lakeland, Florida, is considering a 12-month moratorium on large-scale data centers, a move echoing similar discussions and actions across the Tampa Bay region. Residents in multiple counties are expressing concerns about data centers' impact on water supply and the electric grid. Public hearings for the proposed moratoriums are scheduled in Lakeland and Pasco County.
The city of Lakeland, Florida, is the latest municipality in the Tampa Bay region to consider a temporary halt on data center development. During recent discussions, the city council explored a proposed ordinance that would impose a 12-month moratorium on large-scale data centers within the city limits. This initiative stems from a proposal for "Project Swan," a nearly 600,000-square-foot data center campus planned near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road in West Lakeland.
This pushback is not unique to Lakeland. Just two months prior, city commissioners in Fort Meade, also in Polk County, approved the region's first hyperscale data center. Across the broader Tampa Bay area, including Citrus, Hernando, Pinellas, and Pasco counties, residents and local governments are engaged in similar conversations. Concerns primarily revolve around the significant water and electricity demands of these facilities, with residents in Citrus County, for instance, advocating for water resources to be used solely for human and nature consumption.
While Citrus County has already implemented moratoriums, Hernando, Pinellas, and Pasco counties are also considering them. Lakeland's first public hearing on the proposed moratorium is set for July 6th, and Pasco County is scheduled to hold its first public hearing the following day. 10 Tampa Bay News reporter Andy Peyton reported from Lakeland on the ongoing regional discussions.